If you are planning to live tiny, then you need to start planning the design of the house of your dreams. If you don’t know where to start with the tiny home design, this article will help you. We have spoken to many trusted and established tiny home builders to give you insights about designing the structure within a budget. At TinyHouseMe, you will also establish connections with multiple tiny home builders providing affordable tiny homes for sale. However, did you know that a poorly designed tiny house can make the small space look smaller and increase discomfort? Therefore, instead of jamming everything into the small space, having a rough functional design is a great idea to get started before building the tiny home.
Subtractive design
When you plan to design a tiny home, this is an important concept. Subtractive design means removing certain items to make the space more functional and spacious. For example, although we are habituated to having a sink in the bathroom, in a tiny house, the sink is close to a kitchen, and a wall separates the space. One sink is enough to function for both the kitchen and bathroom, so you do not need to allocate more space for an additional sink.
Low fidelity testing
Another way to evaluate the design is to apply low-fidelity testing. A tiny house is a small space; and if you want something in a particular way, build it and see how it looks and functions. Then, you test it to see how it works and how the design evolves.
Slow building
Many builders offer affordable tiny homes for sale and promise to finish the work as quickly as possible. However, take your time and make changes along the way to get an aesthetically pleasing design. Many builders will be ready to take in inputs and are open to feedback during the building process. A slow building process can help you design the perfect tiny home of your dreams.
Real-world designs
To test the tiny home design, you can put it to use in the real world. With the floor plan in your hand, get painter’s tape and go to the garage or basement to tape down the design. Act out a day how you plan to live in a tiny home. When you test the layout to scale, you will encounter many problems that need to be resolved before the building process. So, save yourself the hassle and opt for real-world testing before planning the design of the tiny house.
Mistakes to avoid while designing the tiny house
The beautiful life in a tiny home on Pinterest and Instagram can be misleading. A tiny house means living with less, and you can make a shift with the right information and mindset. Here are a few mistakes to avoid.
- Not downsizing
- Getting attached to a particular floor plan and design
- Not opting for customization
- Focusing on a small checklist
- Not separating needs from wants
What should you do instead to get the right design?
- Declutter, downsize, and break up from consumerism
- Focus on priorities
- Allocate the space based on how much time you will spend living inside it
- Design the tiny house as per your needs and not what looks or sounds good
Design tips room-by-room
Ready to design? Here are a few tips on how you can break it down room by room.
Kitchen
Storage is crucial inside the kitchen space, and you must design a space with more storage space. For example, a trash can is not a big deal, but a trash pull-out will help you save floor space and is a better idea.
Office
If you work remotely, a tiny house is a good fit as your home office. First, however, you need to consider whether you need a workplace inside the tiny house all the time, or you can have an area that does double duty, like a nook or a cozy corner as your living space.
Bathroom
People worry about the tiny house bathroom space, but it’s very simple. Your bathroom need not have a sink as you can use the kitchen sink outside the door. You should also decide whether to get a toilet inside the bathroom or use an outhouse. A tiny house bathroom design is simple and talking to the design experts can help you make the right call.
Storage solutions
Storage is one of the biggest challenges when it comes to a tiny house design, and expert help is necessary for this area, especially if you are new to joining the Tiny House Movement. TinyHouseMe can help you plan and design your tiny home. We also connect you with a local home builder to help you get going with your project.
Tiny House stairs
It’s optional for your tiny house to have stairs. You can use a ladder to get up to the loft (in case you decide on one). A ladder takes up less space than stairs, but again, you can overlap your storage plan with a staircase to create a more functional space.
Ready to start planning the tiny home design?
If the answer is YES, connect with a trusted home builder willing to offer customized plans and work on your dream project. At TinyHouseMe, we connect you with 100s of tiny home builders offering affordable tiny homes for sale. Sign up now to connect with your chosen builder. We ensure you get a faster response and priority service from the builder.
